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External IT service desks and organisations with service desks are increasingly moving to self-serve tools, such as Live Chat. Customers want to solve their own problems then get back to work. Waiting for a response from a support ticket or call can take too long, especially for simple problems.

IT service desks are also favouring self-serve too, especially for tickets that would normally go through to front line staff, known as Tier/Line 1 support.

Instead of IT teams handling dozens of password reset requests and quick fix issues, IT staff can manage more complex queries that could significantly slow down an organisation’s efficiency. Businesses and IT love self-serve, so why are employees and clients still struggling to get used to self-serve tools and practices?

Some of the challenges we regularly encounter, when it comes to self-serve implementation include poor execution, the technology that can’t keep up with changing needs, and insufficient user education about the options. Here are a few ways you can encourage self-serve in your organisation, for everyone's benefit:

#1: Browser and Device Integration

Self-serve is useless if no one can find it. If staff are only aware of self-serve through a link in an email somewhere, then they will revert to known methods of contacting IT - calls or emails - taking up valuable time for a problem that could be fixed in minutes without any IT support needed.

Make sure your team know how and where to access self-serve tools. Ideally, this should be through a saved page on a web browser, a shortcut on a desktop or app on a smartphone or tablet. Self-serve links should be everywhere your team would actually need them so that they can access these IT options quickly.

#2: Awareness

Following on from the previous point; self-serve doesn't serve anyone if they aren't aware what it can and can’t do. People need to have a clear idea of the capabilities and limitations. Awareness and education are essential for implementing this successfully. At the same time, this information needs to make it clear that they have the choice to ask for help, through the usual channels, but they also have the option to fix a problem themselves.

Make sure they know the time-saving benefits should they choose to use self-serve.

#3: Self-diagnose

Accessing human support, compared to self-serve options, could be more efficient with a qualifying process. If your front line of IT support are constantly handing queries that could be fixed without extra help, then it might be worth offering customers a self-diagnostic tool. One that would aim to find a resolution they can implement themselves, then only refer them to Tier/Line 1 support when that option clearly won’t benefit the person needing help.

Once self-serve proves impractical, or a customer isn’t able to fix something themselves, they should be allowed to access other solutions that could offer a quick resolution, such as Live Chat with the IT service desk. Only if support is also unable to resolve a problem should a ticket be escalated to the next relevant level of support.

Self-serve tools aren't a miracle cure for IT service desk capacity issues. But for some customers, they can prove massive timesaving solutions that empower their IT team’s problem-solving skills and ensure they can get back to work without much delay.

If you want to explore how self-serve could make your IT service desk more efficient, contact me to discuss this subject in more detail. Call 0845 643 6060 or email info@ukngroup.com

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